Why the CDP is Pro-Life
(Ewan McDonald)

For those who don't know me I am a farmer from Northern Victoria. I grew up in the Presbyterian church and have been a committed Christian for most of my adult life. I'm married to Rebecca and we have two young children with an intention to have more. I have been active in politics, also for most of my adult life, having been previously involved with the Victorian branch of the National Party. About three years ago I joined the Christian Democratic Party and at last year's State election I stood as a CDP candidate in the Upper House.

It's easy to find Christians these days whose commitment to opposing abortion amounts to little more than paying 'lip service' to the cause. Although that once described me, I hope I'm not in that category now. I've been a member of Right To Life Australia for several years, and have for the past two years attended with my wife and children the annual Freedom To Be Born March. Many of our Victorian CDP leadership group are also active supporters of this event.

I believe that of all political parties, the Christian Democratic Party's commitment to pro-life issues is second to none. This is because not only are we opposed to abortion but we also have a sound understanding of why we are opposed and furthermore, even in this age of oppressive secularism, we refuse to compromise our Christian duty to tell people why from a Christian perspective abortion is wrong.

As a Christian party, the primary reason for our pro-life stance is because we believe God created Man in His own image. From this theological truth comes the principle that all human life is sacred and that to unjustly take human life, at any point between conception and natural death, shows not only contempt for Man but also contempt for God. I don't believe it's possible to hold a wholly consistent pro-life position without ultimately basing it on this theological foundation.

Worldviews Matter

What a person believes about the origin of Man will to a large degree determine their view on life issues. Those who believe in naturalistic evolution believe that Man is just an intelligent ape. Those who believe this cannot hold that human life is sacred and therefore have no solid philosophical foundation upon which to object to abortion. That's why most Secular Humanists support abortion - after all, if there is no God then there are no moral absolutes and Man gets to determine his own morality. If Man gets to determine his own morality, then Man can decide that it's OK to abort babies - and this is exactly what is happening in Australia and other Western nations wherever Secular Humanism has replaced Christianity as the dominant worldview in our parliaments.

Winning the 'Culture War'

This so-called 'culture war' in which groups like Endeavour Forum, Salt Shakers, the CDP, and others are engaged, is really a war of competing worldviews. We can't win the culture war unless we are prepared to fight and win the worldview war. And we can't win the worldview war unless we are prepared to take on the Secular Humanists. And we can't take on the Secular Humanists unless we are prepared to challenge Secularism - the false view that religion must be kept out of politics.

I believe we need to do three things - (1)Challenge the lie that religion and politics can and should be be separated; (2)Challenge the beliefs and assumptions of Secular Humanism; and (3)Defend the truth claims of the Christian worldview. We need to remind our 'pro-death' opponents that it is they, not us, who are the religious fanatics attempting to impose their religion upon society and upon the pre-born.

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